Spring-wheel.



W. W; SONNE.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.24. |914.

1,281,221, Patented oct. 8, 1918.

wi ne es.' /lz venian' ernten I WILLIAM W. SONNE, OF MORTON GROVE, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918..

Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,216.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLIAM W. SONNE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Morton Grove, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Wheels, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels adapted to absorb shock, and more particularly to the type known as spring wheels.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of spring wheel having few parts of simple and inexpensive construction and adapted to be interchanged Y readily; to provide an improved construction of pivotally `Pjointed tread rim and,l yielding support means therefor adapted for great strength and durability; to provide an improved form of housing for the tread member and its elastic backing, adapted to give lateral guidance and support, both to the jointed rim, and to the tire proper when such is used, and also adapted to provide for equalization and distribution of the load; and to provide an improved form of tread shoes and connecting means therefor.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichy Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the wheel, part of the rim and associated parts being shown in front elevation, part in vertical section on the line A-A of Fig. 4, and part being shown with the front guide ring broken away.

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of one of the shoe plates having spacing shoulders thereon. y

Fig, 3 is a perspective view of one of the guide bolts for the shoe springs.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the rim and associated parts on the line B--B of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the main sectors or bearing shoes of the jointed tread member.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the shoe connecting links.

In the embodiment shown, the wheel comprises a hub 1 and spokes 2 of usual form,

together with a combined felly, rim and tire l construction embodying the several features of this invention.

The felly 3 is rigid and is in the form of an outwardly facing'annular channel bar or ring, to the back of which the outer ends of the spokes are attached, as at 4. The rim 5 as a whole is resilient in character and cornprises a flexible tread rim 6 made up of an annular series of pivotally connected sectors or shoes 7, lateral guide rings or cheek plates 8 therefor, and yielding support means 9 and 10 for thejointed member 6.

The tire 12 may be of any desired form, but is preferably made solidand ofy resilient materials such as rubber or the like. Said tire is substantially uniform and continuous and is preferably reinforced, for which purpose it is formed with one or more longitudinal perforations 13, each containing a chain 14 or the like, preferably of the usual sprocket link type.

Each of the shoes 7 constituting the jointed rim 6 comprises a pair of plates 15 and 16 fastened together by any suitable means, screw 17 being preferred, said plates being held in spaced relation by shoulders 18 and 19 formed on one of the plates 16 adjacent to its inner and outer edges respectively. Links 20 connect adjacent shoes, each link having perforated ends formed and adapted to project between the shoe plates 15 and 16 where said ends havingvperforations 21 are secured pivotally by certain of the screws 17 at the ends of the shoes 7. The link holes 21 are elongated peripherally of the wheel and each is fitted with a wear bushing 22.

In order to prevent creeping of the tire 12 on the rim 6, each shoe 7 is provided with one or more transverse ribs 23 on its outer face. an outward flange 24 arranged to increase the width lof the shoe tread. The plates 7 are countersunk to receive the heads of the screws 17 flush with the outer surface. The screw holes in the plates 16 are threaded so that the screw ends need not project.

The yielding support means 9 and 10 are made in the form of helical springs, and are formed to fit at their inner ends in the hollow of the felly channel 3, the outer ends being seated against the inwardly facing edges of the shoes 7 and links 20 respectively. Washers 25 are interposed to take the wear from the said shoes and links. Said springs are preferably double in character, including concentric outer and inner parts, as shown in Fig. 1 where one of the outer spring parts is shown in section so as to disclose the inner part.

Guide means are provided for the springs 9 in the form of bolts or plunger-rods 27 disposed coaXially in each ofsaidsprings. The inner end of each bolt projects through a hole 29 in the floor of channel 4 in tight fitting relation thereto and has stop means, asfrone -ior more nuts 31, on its tip .to prevent withdrawal outward from the felly hole 29. Each bolt 27 Vhas lon its outer end a head 34 flattened longitudinally to fit be vtweenthe shoe plates 15 and 16 and is preferably shouldered 'at 36, said head being perforated yat 38 to -receive one of the screws 17-centrally positioned lon the shoe 7 The yperforation38 is elongated lengthwise of the bolt :to/permit radial vmovement of the shoe vand bolt with :respect to each other, said hole also being wide enough -to permit some movement of the head crosswise of the slot.

The treadv plate shoulders 18 and 19 lare spaced apart enough toVv give substantially freeplay'for the bolt head 34 on its pivot 17.

Interchangeable bushings 40 are fitted loosely one on each screw v17 to take the ywear fof'the coactingr parts. Preferably, and lespecially `for heavy service, the bolts 27 have a plurality of said springs 9 arranged` con- .centricallygand Awound in opposite directions.

The springs 10a-re mounted without guide bolts, but their ends are placed yover oppositely projecting studs or centering vshoulders 43 preferably in the form of screws or thelike, having tall rounded heads, said .screws being set in the adj acentfaces ofthe links -20 and channel 4. Each link '20 is tapped at44 to receive a screw 43. rlhe washers 25 for the outer ends of springs 10 are preferably held in placeA under the heads of Athe .screws 43. A wear plate suitably perforated in registry with said felly, and

preferably in the form of a metal band or hoop 45 is disposed in the bottom of the felly channel 4 to receive the inner ends of the springs, 9 and 10.

vThe guide rings 8 are substantially vfiat but each is thickened somewhat along its peripheral center, and the outwardflange 8 is :offset slightly from alinement with the inner flange 8 an outwardly facing shoul- .der being provided lon the inner side ofthe ring .at V50. The ring shoulders 50 'are adapted to coact with the shoulders 51 on `backs of theflanges 24 of the tread shoes 7 A'when the :latter are forced inward suiiiciently )against the compression of springs 9 and 10.

The outward fiangeSq overlaps vthe inner l portionofthe tire`12 and so retains the same ,in its position surrounding the lj ointed tread rim 6.

Connecting Vmeans for the lguide rings 8 and ftread yrim 6 `are yprovided lin Athe formof `loolts'52 disposed transversely ofthe Wheel in registering apertures "55 yand "56 inthe guide rings-Sand links=20 respectively. "In/alternate links 20 the-slotsand bolts `52, may be omitted if desired. -Said bolts l52ffittightly .in theapertures 55 and serve to rigidly brace and strengthen the guide plates 8.

The slots '56 are eac'h disposed radially across the middle portion of said links, and

-to :prevent `creeping of the rim 6 and hold the tread members and guide rings in definite relation-peripherally. "The slots*v 56 Vpermit -free radial movement, within'certain limits, of ythev YVlinks 20h'and yassociated parts with respect to theg'guid'e rings Ylila'ch slot "56 is fitted `with a wear bushing 59.3

Theplates 8 are preferably-secured rigidly f to the felly S-lattheir inner edges, las Kby means of bolts 60 or the like ittingtightly in place, `although if the bolts 160 and raperytures therefor are-omitted, the bolts 52 and the springs will ,serve yto vhold the -parts in loperative `position and to equalize yand-cushion the shocks.

One of theespecially 4desirable features'of `the foregoing vconstruction is the adaptability for surrounding the flink -imembers Vand associated mechanism withsuit'ablelubricant, commercial lubricating Agrease Lbeing adapted Ifor `the purpose. "Wlien-such lubricant is used it is placed in 'the'casing between thefelly member 3 and ltheffleXible tire 12, the Llatter fitting ztightlybetween the rim flanges 8 and 28 `in -suchfmanneras'to -re- ;tam the lubricant, vwhich 1n -operationfd1s tributes itself throughout the casing vand thoroughly lubricates all lof the `moving part s,-both withfrespect to fone anotherfand with respect to vthe lcasingwall's. The inner ypart of the 'tire 12 is preferably formed -of canvas impregnated with rubber asgcom- V monly used yand-'understood in .the art, for a canvasor leather gasket '(not shown) may *bel interposed between the,rubberitireeand the jointed tread rim to vprevent llealmge fof loil and to protect the tire.

Ordinarilyy the tension of the springsis given av final adjustment initially, AVwhich lusually never 1has `to be changed afterward, though the nuts on the inner endsffoffthe bolts 27 yand 43'facilitate `readjustment when desirable VVVor* necessary. "In,v practice, the beneficial result of the .use o-f'lubricant as above ldescribed is -apparent,--an`d-has lbeen found to enhance the easy runningV ofthe vehicleand lto prevent wear on thefa-bove vmentioned yoperating parts offthe wheel.

Because of the `foregoing featureslthewheel :is adapted for rough stony roads Asuch as are common in hilly-regions, rasrw'e'll asffor soft and boggy roads such-as are encountered especially at some seasonsofthe year-Tin 'flat level places.

In 4use, the various members. operate uas follows vVhen vthe roadway is smoothftherload is distrifbuted :nearly uniformly Lover a2@ `1:9111:

rality of shoes, in which case the adjacent springs 9 and l0 coperate to cushion the tread and permit the bearing shoes to move inward somewhat from their normal position, particularly at the point directly under the center of the wheel. yNormally the play in the outer ends of the guide bolts permits the shoe to move sufficiently without thrusting the bolt inward, but in case the load is heavy, or if the road is rough, the guide bolt will be forced inward by a plunger-like action. The inward movement of the shoes 7 is limited by the coacting shoulders 50 and 51 on the guide rings and shoes. The elongated apertures in the links 20 and the resulting looseness of fit permits ready self adjustment of the tread rim 6 to the slight variations in length resulting from the inward movement of part of the tread members. As a' result of the construction shown, the shoes directly under the center are depressed sufficiently to bring the adjacent shoes into bearing, and thus the load is distributed over a larger ground area. This is favorable to easy running, especially when the roads are soft.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim l. A spring wheel, comprising a felly and flexible tread and tread supporting means mounted yieldably on said felly, in combination with a pair of guide rings disposed in tight fitting relation on opposite sides of said felly and overlapping the inner part of the tread means, fastening means carried by said guide rings and connecting said guide rings and tread supporting means and arranged to permit' limited relative movement of said supporting means and guide rings radially, said tread supporting means comprising a jointed rim having radially disposed flat links overlapping and connecting the segments proper of said rim which nearly abut together, and said jointed rim having transverse perforations spaced apart peripherally in said links respectively and between said segments to receive said fastening means, and yielding cushion means bearing inward against said felly for each of said links for urging the links yieldingly outward.

2. In a spring wheel, a tread shoe comprising a` pair of detachably connected plates having means formed and arranged for holding the same spaced apart, in combination with a bolt having 011ev end secured loosely between said plates, a helical spring carried by said bolt, a pivot disposed through said shoe transversely of said plates, said bolt having a longitudinal aperture for said pivot and being swingable thereon at said one end, and fastening means at each end of said shoe for holding said plates together.

3. In a spring wheel, a tread shoe comprising a pair of plates disposed side by side in spaced relation, one of said plates having inwardly projecting shoulder means formed and arranged to bear against the adjacent plate to hold said plates apart, tension means connecting said plates for holding them together, and a radially disposed bolt having a helical spring thereon and having its outer or head end secured loosely between said plates, the head of said bolt being formed fiat to prevent turning and having a perforation to receive one of the said tension means in loose fitting relation whereby the bolt head may have restricted movement in any direction in the plane of said link.

4. In a spring wheel, a tread shoe comprising a pair of plates disposed radially side by side, means carried by said plates for holding the same apart in definite spaced relation, said means comprising a shoulder disposed centrally at the outer edge of one of the plates and a pair of shoulders disposed at the opposite ends of one of said plates adjacent to its inner edge, and fastening means for detachably securing said plates together.

Signed at Chicago this 21st day of August, 1914.

WILLIAM W. SONNE. Witnesses:

FRED M. Davis, WILLIAM E. HANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

